Multi-port connectors allow users to easily connect a plurality of fiber optic cables containing multiple fibers to one another. However, it can be difficult to create a connector that will enable a good connection between the all the fiber pairs in the cables. A fiber optic cable may have up to two dozen fibers or, in some cases, more than two dozen fibers. A connector may be attached to each end of the collection of fibers within a fiber optic cable, with each fiber extending through the connector to mate with a fiber from a second connector at an end of a second fiber optic cable. In a good connection, the end of each fiber in one cable should be concentrically aligned with and abut the end of a fiber in the second cable. Since each connector may have many fibers to connect, it can be difficult to control the alignment and the amount of space between the optical fibers, thereby making it difficult to achieve good connection.
In a desired multi-port connection, each of the fibers in a fiber pairs are in concentric alignment with one another, and the core of each fiber contacts the core of the opposing fiber in the fiber pair. The core-to-core connection and concentric alignment of the fiber pairs allows robust transmission with little attenuation and return loss and low insertion loss. Gaps between the ends of the fiber pairs can result in higher insertion losses in the transmission. If fiber pairs are out of alignment, there may be higher levels of attenuation when the pairs are connected. When connecting two multi-port connectors, fibers that protrude too far from one connector may push against the opposing fiber in the second connector. These head-on forces may force the fiber pair out of concentric alignment and, if they are angle polished connectors, will result in higher levels of insertion loss. Multi-port connectors having fibers that contact one another and which are concentrically aligned with and abut one another may produce better transmissions with less loss and reflectance and reduced noise.